An international team of researchers, led by Takuma Izumi, has made a groundbreaking discovery that sheds light on the formation of a monster galaxy.

 Using the powerful ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) radio telescope, the team studied the earliest known pair of close quasars, which are in the process of merging to form a massive galaxy. 

This discovery, first reported in Science Daily, has captivated the scientific community with its implications for understanding the early universe.

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Discovery of the Quasars

Quasars, first observed in the late 1950s and early 60s, are some of the brightest and most distant objects in the universe. The pair of quasars in this study was discovered by Yoshiki Matsuoka from Ehime University in Japan, using images captured by the Subaru Telescope. 

The pair is located in the direction of the constellation Virgo and existed during the first 900 million years of the universe, approximately 12.8 billion years ago.

Unlike many quasars, which are known for their brightness, this pair is relatively dim, indicating they are still in the early stages of their evolution.

ALMA Observations: Unveiling the Merger

The ALMA observations provided detailed maps of the host galaxies of the quasars, revealing a "bridge" of gas and dust linking the two galaxies. This bridge is a strong indication that the galaxies are in the process of merging. 

The observations also showed that these galaxies are extremely rich in gas, the essential material for star formation. The presence of this gas suggests that the merger will not only lead to more vigorous quasar activity but will also trigger a rapid increase in star formation, known as a "starburst." This combination of starburst activity and quasar energy is expected to result in the creation of a super-bright object, commonly referred to as a monster galaxy.

What is a Quasar?

The term "quasar" stands for quasi-stellar radio source, which reflects their star-like appearance. However, quasars are not stars; they are young galaxies located at vast distances from Earth. Despite their distance, quasars are visible because they are incredibly bright, up to 1,000 times brighter than the Milky Way galaxy. 

This brightness is due to the intense radiation they emit across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, a result of the activity surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of these young galaxies.

Quasars are powered by matter falling into a supermassive black hole, which generates enormous amounts of energy. The leading theory is that when two gas-rich galaxies merge, the gravitational forces cause gas to fall toward the supermassive black hole, igniting quasar activity. This process is believed to be at the heart of the formation of monster galaxies, like the one currently being observed.